In recent years, the use of flooring configurations made of synthetic or artificial materials to form a flooring surface intended for sports play and other activities has grown in popularity. These synthetic flooring or overlayment configurations are advantageous for several reasons. For instance, they are easily manufactured and typically formed of materials which are generally inexpensive and lightweight. Thus, if a portion of the flooring configuration becomes damaged, it may easily be removed and replaced at a cost significantly lower than more permanent sports play surfaces. Moreover, these synthetic flooring configurations are modular in nature and are easily removable as they are temporarily placed over a support base. If the entire flooring configuration needs to be relocated, for example, the individual floor tiles making up the flooring configuration can easily be detached from one another, relocated, and then re-assembled to form the flooring configuration in a new location.
The durable plastics from which these flooring configurations or overlayments are formed are long lasting, more so than the alternative traditional floors of asphalt and concrete that are made from primarily natural materials. Additionally, the synthetic material can provide for better performance characteristics, such as improved shock or impact absorption which reduces the likelihood of injury in the event of a fall. For example, the connections for each modular floor tile can even be specially engineered to absorb lateral forces to further reduce the chance of injury. Synthetic flooring configurations are further advantageous in that they generally require little maintenance as compared to non-synthetic flooring materials, such as hardwood boards, etc.
To construct a usable synthetic flooring configuration or overlayment, a suitable support base is required. The support base provides many functions, namely to provide and maintain a level surface on which the flooring configuration may rest, and to provide a suitable support that resists buckling of the flooring configuration overlaid thereon. Support bases are typically constructed of concrete or asphalt, particularly if the synthetic flooring configuration to be overlaid on the support base is intended for use outdoors or in large indoor areas, such as recreational centers, gymnasiums, etc.
Although traditional support bases of concrete and asphalt are commonly used, there are several inherent difficulties associated with these. First, and foremost, these are permanent structures that require significant effort and expense to install. In addition, once installed, it is highly impractical from a cost and labor standpoint to remove and relocated these support bases in the event one desires to transport the overriding synthetic flooring configuration to a new location. Rather, upon removing and relocating the synthetic flooring configuration to a different site, the old support base is demolished and a new support base is typically constructed at the new location.
Moreover, it is not uncommon for the support base to comprise up to one half or more of the total cost of installing a synthetic flooring configuration, particularly if the support base requires retaining or reinforcement of any kind. This is one reason the cost for installations of synthetic flooring configurations can be high. Contributing to this are various fluctuations in material availability. In the aftermath of natural disasters or other unforeseeable events, for instance, common construction materials can be in short supply, thus driving costs even higher.
Considering international aspects, there are many countries in which concrete or asphalt is unavailable altogether. In these locations, concrete must be imported, which is much too cost prohibitive and impractical in most instances for a game court. In other countries, the technology needed to construct large slabs of concrete or asphalt is practiced or known by only a few, and equipment needed is either scarce or nonexistent.
Another significant problem centers around water drainage. In most instances, current support bases are impervious to water drainage, and therefore must comprise some degree of slope or grade to allow water to flow from its surface. Recently, the number of government covenants and/or regulations placing restrictions on the use of concrete and asphalt in urban areas has been on the rise, as the impervious slabs cause rain water to run off and feed into a storm water drainage system instead of being captured and absorbed locally into the surrounding ground surface.
In addition to the water drainage problems, many cities and counties have limited the construction of additional concrete or asphalt slabs for various other reasons, including maintenance and liability costs. This has significantly limited the number of play areas within certain locations, particularly in large cities where much of the landscape already comprises concrete or asphalt. Because of these restrictions, there are often people in these areas that do not have access to a play area or sports facility.
Traditional concrete and asphalt support bases are also very rigid and hard. They do not provide any degree of inherent flexibility or give, nor do they exhibit any impact absorption characteristics. Thus, any impact or other forces are required to be borne or absorbed solely by the overlying flooring configuration. As such, this has been a critical factor in the design of many synthetic flooring configurations.
Furthermore, concrete and asphalt are also very susceptible to cracking. As these slabs can often experience extreme weather conditions ranging from summer heat to winter snow, such conditions can have a detrimental effect on the concrete or asphalt surface, which can become irregular, inconsistent, and unusable over time.
Based on the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide a support base for a synthetic flooring configuration or overlayment that is less permanent and which can be easily relocated and installed at another location, that is relatively easy and inexpensive to install, that is able to better facilitate water drainage from the overriding overlayment, and which can include characteristics or properties that contribute to overall performance of the sports play surface, such as helping to reduce the likelihood of injury, etc.